Anquilla, Cap Juluca trip advice
 

Finalized plans for a 25th wedding anniversary trip for 10 days at Cap Juluca on Anguilla. Now I need help with some of the details...

What restaurant would you recommend for the anniversary dinner?
What other islands can you get to from Anguilla for a day trip?
I have seen mention of a "Cap Ferry" in these forums is it worth taking (we are flying into St Maarten) or just take the public ferry?
We are not really look for too many "activities" while we are there, mostly just relaxing on the beach and good places to eat, but is there a MUST DO while staying there?

Thanks in advance for the help

Anniversary dinner-Veya, Straw Hat, Barrel Stay or Koal Keel/ Other great restaurants-Picante, E's Oven, Zara's. Have a breakfast at Tasty's. Go to Smokey's on Cove Bay for lunch on Saturday. Also try Dune Preserve and Palm Grove (Nat's Place). The easiest daytrip is St Martin. It is possible to go to St Bart's, check out descriptions of the plane ride and the ferry from AXA to St Bart before you plan anything

We visited Anguilla about 2 years ago and we had nothing but great meals- you are in for a treat. We loved Blanchards and Pimms. veya had recently opened when we were there and I regret not going there, as i have heard nothing but great things about it.

You are going to have a great trip- enjoy!

Thanks looks like some good choices

More questions...
Do you need a car on Anguilla?
What about currency; do most places take US dollars?

Cap Juluca has their own private launch which departs from close to PJIA airport on St Maarten. I suggest that you contact the hotel and ask them to meet your flight - for a 25th wedding anniversary that's the least they should do !!

Fpr a great meal in a very pleasant ambiance, try Blanchards.

Things are pretty spread out on Anguilla and there's hardly anything within walking distance of CJ. So, if you plan on leaving the resort to explore the island, visit many of the island's 35 beaches and dine at some of the 80+ restaurants you'll need a reliable means of transportation in the form of a rental car or taxi. Since taxis can get expensive and two r/t's a day in a taxi to almost anywhere on the island will cost you as much or more than a rental car you'll have to decide what works best for YOUR particular vacation style. For me, I always get a rental car no matter what island I'm visiting - I like to be able to come and go as I please.

Regarding currency - Altheough the Eastern Caribbean Dollar is the official currency $US are accepted everywhere on the island. Although, if you pay in $US some of the smaller vendors may give you chang in $EC. FYI - the official exchange rate is $1US=$2.6882EC but depending on the vendor you'll get anywhere from $2.65EC to $2.70EC to the dollar. One hint, make sure you know what currency is being quoted when checking prices - some vendors will have things marked in both $EC and $US others will quote only $EC while many resorts quote prices in $US.

Lastly, I disagree with DavisSXM's implication that "for a 25th wedding anniversary that's the least they should do" you would get that service for free. I doubt that would be the case as CJ usually charges a fee for their private launch service. The fact that you are celebrating your 25th anniversary is probably irrelevant to them. It would be different if you were coming back to the resort for the 25th time. That said, using their meet/greet/private launch service is worth the extra cost if you like being pampered and don't mind paying the cost.

CJ mighstatement that

I completely agree with RoamsAround. My husband and I stayed at CJ in April. While it was our first visit to CJ it was our 4th holiday to Anguilla. Do youself a favor and rent a car. Especially since you are staying for 10 days you'll want to try some of the excellent restaurants on the island plus visit some of the other beautiful beaches. You'll also want a car to pick up snacks and drinks from one of the food markets dotted all over the island.

See the following thread for my take on the Cap Juluca boat:

http://www.fodors.com/community/cari...o-anguilla.cfm

In short, while it was a little bit more convenient than the public ferry I'm not sure I would take the CJ transportation again. I have taken the Caneel Bay boat to/from St. Thomas and St. John and I have taken the Four Seasons Nevis boat from the St. Kitts airport. Both of those transporation choices were definitely worth the price: convenient, well-run, comfortable. I'm afraid I wasn't impressed with the CJ operation. And again I agree with RoamsAround that I would be extremely surprised if CJ gave you the transportation for free. Many, many people stay at CJ for special occasions (honeymoons, anniversaries) and I can't imagine they would give everyone this benefit.

Have fun on Anguilla. It's one of my favorite islands.

OK, it sounds like a car is a good idea, but where is the best place to get one if we fly into St. Maarten? Is there a car rental close to where the public ferry drops you off (I still have not decided public vs. CJ ferry)?

Normally you take a taxi from Blowing Point to your hotel and the car rental company delivers the car to your hotel at your convenience. Cap Juluca's concierge can arrange the car rental for you. Island Car Rental is one of the companies that Cap Juluca uses. I've used it many times and would recommend them. When you receive your reservation confirmation from Cap Juluca, they will outline the options for getting from St. Maarten to Anguilla. The more expensive options are more convenient, so it 's up to you to make the choice. With the private charter, there should be no waiting on the dock. With the shuttle, you may wait for others from other flights, but you have the convenience of leaving from the dock across from the airport. With the public ferry, you take a taxi to the French side and then take a ferry. They all go into Blowing Point, so you can expect a Cap Juluca rep to meet you there and get you into a cab to the hotel. If you let Cap Juluca make the reservation, they will coordinate everything.

thanks; I will talk to CJ and finalize plans

I will ask another question here, but also post on a St Maarten tag...

If we spend one day on St. Maarteen would you recommend the Dutch side or French side? It sounds like the public ferry drops you off at the French side. Can you walk to shopping and eating from the ferry stop? What restaurant/s would you recommend (we will probably be in casual clothes since we will spend the day walking around)?